About St. John Nepomucene (Holy Redeemer Parish) · Guttenberg, New Jersey
St. John Nepomucene Church is the historic worship site located in the heart of Guttenberg, New Jersey, at 7007 Polk Street. It is part of Holy Redeemer Parish, a merged tri-site Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Newark that unites three Hudson County congregations under one pastoral team. Each week the parish celebrates Mass in English, Spanish, and Croatian here, making St. John's a multilingual home for the families of Guttenberg and the surrounding North Hudson communities.
- Patron
- St. John of Nepomuk (Jan Nepomucký)
- Rector
- Very Reverend Carlo B. M. Fortunio, V.F.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Newark
Why belong here
Holy Redeemer Parish at the St. John Nepomucene site offers one of the most linguistically diverse liturgical experiences in Hudson County, with weekly Mass offered in English, Spanish, and Croatian, plus a robust CCD religious-education program, multiple choirs, lay ministries such as the English Rosary Society and Círculo de Oración, and active Neocatechumenal communities. The parish also hosts youth group, faith formation for teens and adults, sacramental prep for baptism and marriage, and a parish food pantry (dispensario de comida). Worshippers who register become part of a tri-site Catholic family serving Guttenberg, West New York, and North Bergen.
Mass times at St. John Nepomucene (Holy Redeemer Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM at St. Mary's (West New York)
- Saturday 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM at Our Lady of Libera (West New York)
- By appointment at the Padre Pio Parish Center, 569 65th St., West New York
Welcome & Parish Registration
Every Catholic is encouraged to register at Holy Redeemer Parish. According to the parish, registration is not only a sign of active support and involvement in parish life; it is also a mandatory requirement for many sacraments, including Baptism and Matrimony. Registration forms can be downloaded from the parish website and either returned to the Parish Office or placed in the Sunday collection basket.
- Tri-site parish: St. John Nepomucene (Guttenberg), Our Lady Help of Christians / St. Mary's (West New York), Our Lady of Libera (West New York)
- Registration required as a precondition for Baptism and Matrimony
- Online registration form available on holyredeemer-wny.org
Sacraments
Sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage is handled at the Padre Pio Parish Center (569 65th Street, West New York) and supported by parish CCD classes.
- Baptism: held Saturdays or Sundays; register at Padre Pio Parish Center Mondays 5:45–6:45 PM, two months in advance; classes first two Tuesdays of each month in the lower-level hall of the school.
- Marriage: enroll at least one year in advance at the Padre Pio Center; must be registered in the parish for at least six months and attend Mass at one of the parish churches.
- First Communion & Confirmation: completed through the CCD / Catechesis program; children must be age 6+ by June of the enrollment year.
- RCIA / Christian Initiation for adults 18+ needing the sacraments of initiation.
Order of Christian Funerals
The parish provides the Order of Christian Funerals — the three principal parts being the Vigil for the Deceased, the Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy outside Mass, and the Rite of Committal. Families can fill out a Funeral Form electronically and print it from the parish website.
- Vigil for the Deceased
- Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy outside Mass
- Rite of Committal
- Funeral Form downloadable from holyredeemer-wny.org/funerals
Parish Staff & Clergy
Holy Redeemer Parish is led by Very Reverend Carlo B. M. Fortunio, V.F., who was named founding pastor in 2020 and granted a further term through June 30, 2029. He is assisted by a parochial vicar, weekend assistant, a resident priest, a parish deacon, a business manager, a music minister, and two parish trustees.
- Very Rev. Carlo B. M. Fortunio, V.F. — Pastor (2013–2020 at Our Lady Help of Christians; 2020–present at Holy Redeemer Parish)
- Rev. Melvin X. Oseguera — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Giordano Belanich — Weekend Assistant
- Rev. Angelo Pochetti — In Residence
- Deacon Jesús Aristy — Parish Deacon
- Edward Mendoza — Business Manager
- Angie Rotella-Suarez — Music Minister
- Philip Dispenza & Mario Gallo — Parish Trustees
Faith Formation & Religious Education (CCD)
The parish runs a full Catechetical program, with English classes on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM, Spanish classes on Sundays at 10:45 AM (Our Lady of Libera) or 11:00 AM (St. Mary's), and a Wednesday afternoon session from 4:00–5:00 PM. Post-Confirmation Catechesis for teens meets on Fridays at 7:00 PM, and Young Adults formation is also offered. Parents are reminded that they are the first educators of their children's faith and are expected to attend Sunday Mass with their children.
- Children must be 6 years old by June of the enrollment year
- Two-year preparation toward First Communion and Confirmation
- Baptismal certificate required for first-time CCD enrollment
- Registration fee: $45 one child / $50 two / $55 three or more
- Classes begin Sunday, September 21, 2025 and end May 17, 2026
Lay Ministries, Choirs & Devotional Groups
The parish supports a wide range of English- and Spanish-language lay communities and devotions. The English Choir rehearses Saturdays at 10:00 AM at Our Lady of Libera, and the Spanish choir (Coro en Español) meets Fridays at 8:00 PM. Among the devotional groups are the English Rosary Society, the Círculo de Oración, the Lazos de Amor Mariano, the Virgen de la Altagracia society, and the active Neocatechumenal Communities (English and Spanish).
- English Choir — Saturdays 10:00 AM, Our Lady of Libera
- Coro en Español — Fridays 8:00 PM
- English Rosary Society — 1st Sunday, 10:00 AM, Our Lady of Libera
- St. Martin de Porres Society — 2nd Sunday, 1:30 PM
- Virgen de la Altagracia — 3rd Sunday, 1:30 PM
- Círculo de Oración — Wednesdays 7:00 PM (Our Lady of Libera) & Thursdays 8:00 PM (St. Mary's)
- Lazos de Amor Mariano — Tuesdays 7:30 PM & Fridays 7:30 PM, St. Mary's
- Neocatechumenal Communities — Tue, Wed & Sat 8:00 PM
- Divina Misericordia — Wed 12:30 PM (Our Lady of Libera); Sat 3:00 PM (St. Mary's)
- Morning Prayer (Advent & Lent) — 6:00 AM
Youth & Young Adults
The Holy Redeemer Parish Youth Group gathers on Thursdays from 3:00 PM to 6:45 PM at St. Mary's. Young Adults faith formation offers two different classes for those 18 and older who still need a sacrament of Christian initiation, and a two-year preparation toward communion and confirmation is available.
- Youth Group — Thursdays 3:00–6:45 PM, St. Mary's
- Young Adults — two separate classes for 18+ needing sacraments of initiation
- Two-year track for teens needing both First Communion and Confirmation
Outreach & Social Ministry
Out of its three worship sites, Holy Redeemer Parish operates a weekly food pantry — the Dispensario de Comida — on Tuesdays from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM. Counselling services are available on the first floor of the parish school, by appointment. Pilgrimages are also organized from time to time, including a 2024 trip to Portugal and Israel.
- Dispensario de Comida — Tuesdays 9:30 AM–12:00 PM
- Counselling — 1st Floor of the School, by appointment
- Parish pilgrimages (e.g., Portugal and Israel, June 2024)
Live Streaming & Online Giving
Daily Mass is livestreamed through the parish website. English Mass is streamed Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM, and Spanish Mass on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at 7:00 PM. The 9:00 AM Sunday English Mass at St. John Nepomucene is also livestreamed. Parishioners can also support Holy Redeemer through Amazon Smile (0.5% of purchases donated) and online giving set up through the parish website.
- Live Stream 24/7 link on holyredeemer-wny.org
- English: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM
- Español: Lun–Mie–Vie 7:00 PM
- Amazon Smile / Online Donations enrollment available
History of the Parish
St. John Nepomucene was established to serve the Bohemian/Czech immigrant community of Guttenberg, and still maintains a Sunday Croatian Mass each week. In 2020, as part of the Archdiocese of Newark's 'Many parishes, one mission' pastoral planning initiative, Our Lady Help of Christians in West New York and St. John Nepomucene in Guttenberg were merged to form Holy Redeemer Parish, with Fr. Carlo Fortunio named as pastor. Two years later Our Lady of Libera, also in West New York, was added as the third worship site. The parish offices are located in the Padre Pio Parish Center at 569 65th Street, West New York.
- Original parish rooted in 19th-century Bohemian/Czech immigration to Guttenberg
- 2020: Merged with Our Lady Help of Christians to form Holy Redeemer Parish
- 2023: Expanded to include Our Lady of Libera as third worship site
- Pastor's current term extended through June 30, 2029
- Croatian Mass every Sunday at 10:15 AM preserves ethnic heritage
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Very Reverend Carlo B. M. Fortunio, V.F.2020–present
Founding pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish following the 2020 merger; granted a further term through June 30, 2029 by Archbishop Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin.